Door-fastener



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

N. H. GOLWELL. DOOR PASTBNER.

No. 554,615. Y Patentdfeb. 11,1896.

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l 2 Sheets-Sheet '2. N. H. COLWBLL.

l DOOR EEEEEEE R. v Y No. 554,515. Patented Peb. 1l,v 1896.l

Nirnn STATES i ATENT Fries..

NICHOLAS Il. OOLVELL, OF KENTON, OHIO.

DooR-FAsTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 554,615, datedFebruary 11, 1896. Application filed Octobell', 1895. Serial No.565,978. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS H. CoLwELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kenton, in the county of I-Iardin and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Fasteners, of whichthe following is a specication, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates in general to an improved doorastener designed foruse on the doors of refrigerators and other like structures, andspecically to that class of fasteners for refrigerator-doors in which onraising the handle the door is both unfastened and pried slightlyoutward, the latter action being desirable from the fact that the doorfrequently swells and binds in the casing.

The invention, broadly stated, consists in a door-fastener having apivoted drop-handle, a prying-finger whose longitudinal axis is at aright angle to the pivot of the handle, a latchnose projecting laterallyat a right angle from one end of the prying-finger, and a keeper againstwhich the prying-finger bears on the upward movement of the handle,pressing the door slightly upward and outward, and with which thelatch-nose engages from below on the downward movement of the handle.

The invention also consists in certain details of construction andcombination of parts which will first be described in connection withthe accompanying drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of a combined latch andlock embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same withthe back-plate and keeper removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thelock with the keeper in section7 showing the positions of the handle,latch-nose, and prying-iinger when the parts are in normal position, theprying-finger and the shoulder with which the finger contacts inoperation being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig.3, but showing the parts in the positions they occupy when the handle isbeing raised to disengage the' latch-nose from the keeper. Fig. 5 is abroken sectional view of the combined latch and lock on the line x x,

Fig. 2, showing the locking-dog in the locking position. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of a portion of the handle and its integral parts,comprising the prying-linger, the latch-nose, the handle-pivot, and thelug on the pivot adapted to engage with the locking-dog and also tolimit the upward movement of the handle. Fig. 7 is a perspective View ofthe keeper. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a latch embodying myinvention. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the latch with the keeper insection, showing the position of the handle, prying-finger, andlatch-nose when the parts are in the normal position, a portion beingshown in dotted lines. Fig. l0 is a view similar to Fig. 9, but showingthe parts in the positions they occupy when the handle is being raisedto disengage the latch-nose from the keeper. Fig. l1 is a plan view ofthe latch with the keeper removed, showing the parts in normal position.Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the keeper.

Referring to the drawings on Sheet 1, A represents a lock-casing havinga removable back plate a, and B a keeper.

O represents a drop-handle, provided with short pivots c c', adapted towork in recesses l, formed in the sides of the casing, the back plateabeing provided on its sides with forwardly-projecting lips 2, adaptedto close recesses l and serving to hold the pivots therein; but, thoughtwo short pivots are shown, a continuous pivot-rod extending across thecasing may be substituted if desired.

On one side of the handle, and preferably integral therewith, are formeda prying-finger D and a latch-nose E, the longitudinal axis of theprying-finger being at a right angle to the pivot of the handle, its endbeing adapted to bear in operation on a shoulder on the keeper,hereinafter described. The latchnose E, having a roundedfaee, projectslaterally at a right angle from one end of the prying-finger, thelongitudinal axis of the latchnose being parallel with the handle-pivotbut in a plane below it.

On the inner side of the casing A is an ordinary locking-dog F, havingthe usual spring 3 to prevent accidental displacement, the dog beingprovided with a downwardly and forwardly extending projection 4, adaptedon movement of the dog to override a lug 5, formed on the pivot c of thehandle, which lug by contact with the back plate also serves to limitthe upward movement of the handle. The locking-dog is designed to beoperated by the usual key (i.

The retaining portion Z1 of the keeper B is rounded on its lower end, asat 7, and on the inner edge of the keeper is formed a shoulder b, for apurpose hereinafter stated.

The parts being assembled and in place on a refrigerator or other likestructure the operation will be as follows: Assuming the drophandle tobe locked in its normal position, when the latch will be in engagementwith the keeper, then on unlocking the handle and raising it thelatch-nose will be swung outward and thereby disengaged from the keeper,by which time the prying-finger will contact with the shoulder h on thekeeper, which will result, on a slightly farther upward movement of thehandle, in pressing the door upward and outward, when the lug 5 willhave been turned so as to contact with the back plate of the lock,thereby limiting the farther upward movement of the handle. To close thedoor it is only necessary to push on it, when the latclnnose will comeinto contact with the rounded end of the retaining portion I) of thekeeper, riding down it and thereby raising the handle until thelatch-nose has passed in rear of said retaining portion, when the handlewill drop by gravity.

Referring now to Figs. S, 9, 10, 11, and 12 on Sheet 2 of the drawings,it will be seen that in applying my invention to a latch, the principalmodifications relate to the form of the handle and the manner ofpivoting it. Instead of using a U-shaped handle, such as abovedescribed, I employ for the purpose of alateh a single-bar drop-handleC, and form the prying-finger D and the latchnose E on a shortpivot-bolt 8, which passes through two lugs 0 formed on a plate A,adapted to be secured to the door, and on this pivot-bolt I secure thehandle preferably by means of a set-screw lO. For the purpose oflimiting the movement of the handle I recess it on both sides in rear ofthe pivot so as to leave shoulders ll, which are adapted to come intocontact when the handle is raised to a horizontal position, withshoulders l2 formed on the inner sides of the lugs 9. The keeper I5 ofthis latch is substantially the same as the one previously described,having the rounded retaining portion b and shoulder b.

It will be noticed that in the operation of this latch, as well as inthe operation of the combined latch and lock, the latch-nose enters thekeeper from below.

Ilaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a door-fastener, ahandle pivoted in a suitable support, and aprying-finger and a latch-nose adapted to be operated by the ha-ndle,-the longitudinal axis of the prying-finger being at a right angle tothe handle-pivot and the latclnnose projecting laterally at a rightangle to one end of said iinger, in combination with a keeper againstwhich the iinger presses on the upward movement of the handle and wit-hwhich the latch-nose engages from below on the downward movement of thehandle.

2. In a door-fastener, a handle, a pivot for the handle, a support inwhich the pivot is mounted, a prying-linger, a latch-nose projectinglaterally at a right angle to one end of the finger, said prying-fingerand nose being formed integral, and means for limiting the upwardmovement of the handle, in combination with a keeper against which thefinger presses on the upward movement of the han- -dle and with whichthe nose engages from below on the downward movement of the handle.

3, Ina combined latch and lock, a lock-case, a U-shaped drop-handlepivoted inthe sides thereof, a pryingnger and a latch-nose formedintegral with one branch of said han dle, and a lug carried by thehandlepvot and adapted to contact with the case to limit the upwardmovement of the handle, in combina tion with a keeper with which saidiinger and nose coact in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a combined latch and lock, a lockcase, a U -shaped drop-handlepivoted in the sides thereof, a prying-finger and' a latch-nose formedintegral with one branch of said handle, a locking-dog, and a lugcarried by the handlepivot, said lu g being adapted when the handle isin the normalposition to be engaged by the locking-dog and to contactwith the case when the handle is in the horizontal position, incombination with a keeper with which said finger and nose coact in themanner and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NICHOLAS II. COLXVELL.

Witnesses:

MARIE CARR, THOMAS B. BLACK.

ICO

